


Forget the Rules

by Anonymous



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, First Kiss, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-16 06:18:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5817343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Revelations from a post-battle haze of alcohol and exhaustion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forget the Rules

"Fuck, I'm exhausted," Anakin mutters as he and Obi-Wan slump down at the bar.  Tomorrow they would be returning to Coruscant, but in this moment they are celebrating the completion of a long assignment on a dusty and dangerous planet.

"I thought I taught you better than to swear," Obi-Wan admonishes, though his usual wry humor is missing from his tone.  They are both far too weary from the ongoing war to be as playful as they once were, but Anakin plays along as he always does.  Without verbalizing, they both make an effort to see the other man smile as often as possible; it's all they hold onto in the darker moments of their mission.

It's this kind of unconscious communication that surprises Anakin, and seems to happen more and more often.  He and Obi-Wan have become in sync.  A bond closer than brothers, and more intimate than most partners.  It's as though the Force continuously flows between them, making words and physical contact unnecessary.  They are always aware of the other's presence, becoming invaluable to each other on the battlefield as they constantly save each other's neck.

Not that physical touch was unwarranted--sometimes the two clutched each other in a moment of weakness to ground themselves and feel the comfort of another's presence.  Anakin doesn't care to examine the intensity of these occasions, and it's so easy to slip into the comfortable banter of their relationship that he knows so well.  He allows himself to drown in the intoxication of the spicy drink that numbs the lingering buzz of the day's trial.  Finally, he relaxes enough to exist in a pleasant post-battle haze of alcohol and exhaustion.

 

***

 

They head back their shared headquarters, enjoying a moment of peaceful joy that radiates between them like a beam of light.  Combined with the effects of their multiple beverages, it becomes like a heady drug.  Anakin's not ready to leave his master's company, not after the day's events.  He still can't shake the events of the day from his brain: almost falling over the edge, Obi-Wan letting go of his lightsaber to catch him and haul them both back up.  How many times had he admonished Anakin for losing his own lightsaber?  It was so uncharacteristic of his master, especially in the middle of an approaching clone army, that he almost wondered if something was wrong.

Anakin sits down next to Obi-Wan, resting his head on the other man's shoulder, and Obi-Wan reaches an arm around his back.  A few moments pass as they simply relish in each other's silent companionship, not needing to fill the space with empty words.  It occurs to Anakin that maybe he should thank his mentor for what he did today (though it certainly isn't the first occasion something similar occured).

"Think nothing of it, my young Padawan," Obi-Wan mumbles, using the phrase out of affection rather than formality.  Anakin often wonders if he did that to put distance between them--to remind him of their gap in experience, never mind that they are both Jedi Knights now.  It infuriates him, and makes him want to push this boundary all the more.  Anakin knows he is the more talented Jedi of the two, after all.

His inhibited thoughts have no filter, and before he registers what is happening he is kissing his former mentor.  In the part of his brain still processing, he wonders why he hasn't done this before; it often infuriates him how uptight and aloof Obi-Wan can be.  Perhaps this is the only way he can bring back that old warmth he remembers--not the shallow humor that they play at on the surface.  He knows it to be a cover for the deeper feelings Obi-Wan conceals.

A rush of air escape his lips as Anakin was pushed away.  He knows the protests that will escape his master's mouth; Obi-Wan is always so strict about the Jedi code, but Anakin understands that he craves the comfort of closeness as much as he does in this moment.  Perhaps, just for tonight, they can forget the rules.


End file.
